Out and about

Historic Towns & Cities

Banbury
Famous for its cakes, the nursery rhyme “Ride a Cock Horse” and the Oxford Canal, where you can enjoy a trip in a narrow boat. Banbury Museum, Tooleys Boat Yard and Banbury Cross are all worth a visit, as is the bustling local market held on both Thursday and Saturday.

Leamington Spa
An elegant town in the heart of South Warwickshire, with Georgian and Victorian architecture, tree-lined avenues and glorious gardens. Leamington has a good reputation for shopping and has an excellent choice of places to eat and drink

Stratford-Upon-Avon
The birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford is steeped in culture and history. Set in the beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside, on the banks of the river Avon, it is one of the most important tourist destinations in the UK. You can enjoy the delights of Shakespeare’s hometown, get a taste of old England as you wander through the alleyways, parks and gardens, or enjoy a lazy day on the river Avon.

Warwick
Visiting Warwick is a friendly and memorable experience with something for all ages. Easily accessible by car, the town is set amidst historic buildings and numerous attractions including the famous Warwick Castle.

Oxford
The City of Dreaming Spires is famous the world over for its university and place in history. For over 800 years it has been a home to royalty and scholars, and since the 9th century an established town. Oxford is a bustling cosmopolitan city where there’s plenty to do, whether it’s visiting one of the many historic buildings, colleges or museums, going out for meal, or punting down the river.

Woodstock
The Cotswolds market town of Woodstock is a pretty place approximately10 miles north of Oxford. It boasts many charming streets, inns, and tea shops and is most famous for its close proximity to the ancestral home of the Churchill family, Blenheim Palace, which is surrounded by over 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland, the great lake, and beautiful formal gardens.

National Trust Properties

Stowe Landscape Gardens Located only 11 miles away, Stowe has breathtakingly beautiful landscaped gardens where over 40 temples and monuments remain, gracing an inspiring backdrop of lakes and valleys with an endless variety of walks and trails, a delight to explore at any time of year.

Upton House & Gardens
Located 7 miles north of Banbury, Upton House allows you to experience a weekend house party of a 1930’s millionaire. Surrounded by internationally important art and porcelain collections, hear and discover more about family life and soak up the atmosphere of the party. The stunning gardens have a sweeping lawn that gives way to a series of terraces and herbaceous borders leading to a kitchen garden, tranquil water garden and spring bulb displays.

Farnborough Hall
Nestled in the heart of rural Warwickshire, surrounded by elegant lakes and fine landscape gardens, sits Farnborough Hall. Made from the local Horton honey-coloured stone, inside this country house you can enjoy the finest 18th-century plasterwork, depicting natural beauty and wildlife.

Canons Ashby House
Located 11miles south of Daventry, this tranquil Elizabethan manor house is set in beautiful gardens. Canons Ashby was first built by the Dryden family during the Elizabethan period, using stone from the Augustinian priory which previously occupied the site. The interior is welcoming and atmospheric, with Jacobean wall paintings, plasterwork and tapestries.

Animals & Nature

Catanger Llama Trekking
Located in the heart of the Northamptonshire countryside near Towcester, Catanger offers guided Llama trekking along bridleways, farm tracks and country lanes. A perfect way to de-stress!

Hatton Country World
Set in the beautiful Warwickshire countryside, Hatton Farm Village offers a wonderful family day out with a fun packed programme of farmyard animals, adventure play, fun fair rides, children’s shows, falconry displays, tractor rides and a soft play area.

Rookery Farm
Offering a safe, clean environment, Rookery Farm is a commercial sheep and cattle farm where visitors can have close contact with a large variety of animals, picnic inside and out, enjoy a drink in the tearoom, and kids can play in the purpose built indoor and outdoor activity areas.

Stratford Butterfly Farm
Enjoy watching hundreds of the world’s most spectacular and colourful butterflies flying all around. You can see them feeding and flying in a wonderful tropical environment.

West Midlands Safari Park
Voted ‘most popular tourist attraction in the West Midlands’ by children and parents from the region. A wide variety of animals, rides and attractions, safari drive-through & places to eat.

Outdoor Activities

Cherwell Boat House: for rowing or punting in Oxford
‘Hinton-in-the-Hedges’: Gliding & Parachuting: for sky-diving or gliding
Purston Manor Stables: for horse riding less than a mile away Tel: 01295 710960
Silverstone: for motorsports including F1
Tooley’s Boat Yard: for barge hire on the Banbury canal
Towcester Racecourse: for a day/evening at the races!

Wet Weather Days

Bicester Village Shopping Outlet http://www.bicestervillage.com/
Cineworld Northampton Tel: 0871 200 2000
Formula Fast Karting Banbury Tel: 01295 701010
Lakeside SuperBowl Banbury Tel: 0843 290 8938
Odeon Cinema Banbury Tel: 0871 22 44 007
Spiceball Leisure Centre Banbury Tel:01295 257522

Food & Drink

There are plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants to choose from, here’s a few we would recommend:

Pubs
The Fox @ Farthinghoe Tel: 01295 71965
The Crewe Arms @ Hinton in the Hedges Tel: 01280 705801
The George & Dragon @ Chacombe Tel : 01295 711500

Tearooms
Limes Farm @ Farthinghoe Tel: 01295 711229
The Courtyard Coffee Shop @ Brackley Tel:01280 700499

Restaurants
Dhan Shiri Indian @ Brackley Tel: 01280 841846
Tiffins Tandoori @ Brackley Tel: 01280 703265
Voujon Indian @ Banbury Tel: 01295 272007
Rossetti Italian @ Brackley Tel: 01280 706697
Thai Orchid @ Banbury Tel: 01295 270 833